These Nine Tiny Engines Have Way More Cylinders Than They Need

Between 1995 and 2005, Formula 1 engines sounded incredible. They were naturally aspirated V10s that could hit 19,000 rpm under the right conditions. That's partly thanks to how small they were: They displaced just three liters. For comparison, the Dodge Viper uses an 8.4-liter V10. Of course, Dodge's V10 sounds more like a tractor than something sonorous, and that huge displacement is why.

V10-era F1 engines aren't the only low-displacement engines to have lots of cylinders, though. There are a ton, from Tatra's 2.5-liter V8 to the 1.4-liter Brabus V6. It's also relevant right now: Manufacturers have been under pressure to downsize engines and use forced induction in order to decrease emissions.

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Most manufacturers are downsizing engines in displacement and cylinder count while adding the forced induction, but why not make a tiny V12 instead? Could you imagine if Ferrari put a 1.5 liter V12 in something? They've done it before, back when the company first started. It's time for it to happen again.

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